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I came across a very beautiful essay by Abhinav Asokh on the origins of the schools of thought touched upon by the Bhagwad Gita and the Upanishadic concept of Brahman on Quora. I cannot confirm the accuracy or the veracity of the facts/ thoughts expressed below, but thought of sharing it nevertheless.
Disclaimer: This is a very long answer, scroll down to the bottom for my final thoughts.
Brahman in a purely Upanishadic context is the indescribable, inexhaustible, omniscient, omnipresent, original, first, eternal and absolute principle who is without a beginning, without an end , who is hidden in all and who is the cause, source, material and effect of all creation known, unknown and yet to happen in the entire universe . Even the term indescribable, formless or infinite used to describe Brahman attaches some qualities to it and is an oxymoron. Due to this paradoxical nature of Brahman, our ancient seers referred to Brahman as "This or That", often in the same sentence, they often employed the term "It" to describe the nature of Brahman. Almost all Shruti text conclude that Brahman simply cannot be described and beyond the realm of words or senses and that it can only be felt by the "Atman"(eternal, unmoving witness) that lies within us through meditation.
Bhagavad Gita was written in a time to reconcile various philosophical thoughts into one. It by no means an authoritative text on any of the philosophical schools it sought to reconcile. In the Bhagavad Gita, one can find the thoughts "Samkhya"(Purusha and Prakriti, Consciousness and matter), "Vedanta" (Brahman, Atma and Maya), "Mimamsa" (Karma and Duty), "Yoga" (Control of the Mind),"Vaisheshika" (Atoms and matter), "Nyaya" (Logic). You have to realize that most of these philosophical schools predate the time of the Bhagavad Gita and were highly complex and developed in their thought formation. Bhagavad Gita sought to reconcile each of the schools to present a more encompassing philosophical standing to the common folk who did not possess either the time to dedicate for their learning or the mental faculties to understand them.
Each of the schools had a different path to attain Moksha. For these purposes, Bhagavad Gita mentions various methods of attaining salvation such as "Karma Yoga", Liberation through Action, "Jnana Yoga", Liberation through Knowledge and "Bhakti Yoga", Liberation through surrender.
For example, "Mimamsa" school of thought held that performing ones Dharma was sufficient to attain Moksha,
One finds its thought in the Bhagavad Gita,
"tasmad asaktah satatam karyam karma samacara asakto hy acaran karmaparam apnoti purushah" (Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme).
Yoga" held that by "citta-vtti-nirodha" Citta is the mind field, Vritti, refers to the movement and nirodhah is the cessation, in short, "Cessation of the movements of the mind" leads one to the ultimate goal of Moksha. You can find its influence in the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna repeatedly states that concentration of the mind leads to escaping the fetters of "Samsara",
"Still your mind in me, still yourself in me, and without a doubt you shall be united with me, Lord of Love, dwelling in your heart"
"Samkhya", one of the oldest and complex philosophies of India, held that the entire universe consisted of only consciousness (Purusha) and matter (Prakriti) and the interaction of the two gave rise to the universe, Krishna himself states that
"Of all trees I am the banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I am Narada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila".(10.26)
Kapila is often credited as the founder of the school of Samkhya and his philosophy of "Purusha" and "Prakriti" is found mention in various texts including the Bhagavad Gita.
"Vedanta" (lit. End of the Vedas) was the acme of Indian metaphysical thought and makes its appearance at the end of the Vedas. They are the philosophical summary of message of the Vedas. It is in the Vedas and Upanishads that the concept of "Brahman" makes its appearance. The path of "Jnana Yoga" (Liberation through Knowledge) found in the Bhagavad Gita refers to the philosophies of "Vedanta" and its concept of "Brahman" and "Atma". The ultimate goal of Vedanta was to escape the circle of life and death through understanding that the causality of all things seen and unseen, created and uncreated, past, present and future and the entire universe, all things macro and micro, you, me and everything was "Brahman", the unchanging reality behind the illusion of this changing world. It stressed equanimity of all things good and bad, pain and pleasure, good and evil and the identification of oneself with the entire universe because the entire universe and its process were nothing but a extension of Brahman.
For the purpose of teaching and spiritual advancement, they divided the definition Brahman into two to induce easier understanding of the text.
According to the Upanishads, there are two defintions of Brahman depending upon the experience of the disciple. "Saguna Brahman" (Personal aspect) and"Nirguna Brahman" (impersonal aspect).
Sa (with) Guna (qualities) and Nir (without) Guna (qualities). Saguna Brahman refers to the various deities such as Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Kali, Tara, Dattreya, Bhairava, who are bestowed the title of "Brahman" and are endowed qualities and form so as to facilitate Meditation. Indian philosophies follow the practice of providing both the philosophical discourse along with the practical means to understand them. If you read the "Yoga Sutras" of Patanjali, he mentions the various types of "Samadhi"that meditation leads to and the greatest of them was the "Nirvakalpa Samadhi". The various meditation technique begin with meditating on a single thought or form, usually a deity of choice and slowly lead to higher forms of meditation. For this reason, the concept of "Saguna Brahman" was utilized because the human mind operates on certain concepts such as Up and Down, Left and right, form, qualities and characteristics and these imposed on a deity help the mind focus on these qualities. It was only through rigorous meditation that the mind is conditioned to develop laser focus and imagine much subtler concepts required to mediate on the "Nirguna" state. Many books on Tantra such as "Vijyana Bhairava Tantra""Mahanirvana tantra" and "Shiva Samhita" deal with the various esoteric practices and forms of Meditation. A newly initiated disciple, whose mind is not conditioned to absorb the subtle teaching of the "Nirguna" Brahman was taught the theory of "Saguna Brahman" to help train the mind to hold on to a single form or thought for extended periods of time. This not only helped the initiate condition his mind for subtler thought but also helped in delve deeper into themselves and discover the eternal unmoving witness who is present (Atma). This path ultimately leads the initiate to mediate on "Nirguna Brahman" or the formless Brahman and ultimately "Nirvakalpa samadhi".
"He is beyond thought and invisible, beyond family and colour. He has neither eyes nor ears; he has neither hands nor feet. He is everlasting and omnipresent, infinite in the great and infinite in the small. He is the Eternal whom the sages see as the source of all creation" - Mundaka Upanishad
While "Saguna Brahman" is a valid tool for understanding concepts, from a strictly Upanishadic point of view, "Saguna Brahman" itself is an illusion due to the qualities and forms that one endows on the concept of Brahman be it Krishna or Shiva and ultimately constraints the scope and magnitude of Brahman by imposing qualities to it.
"Great indeed are the Devas who have sprung out of Brahman". -Atharva Veda
The Upanishads literally mean "Sit beside" or seated beside a teacher of wisdom who imparts the ultimate truth. For this reason, the Upanishads usually follow the pattern of discourse between the teacher and initiate. Various authors from different schools have provided commentary on the Upanishads according to the school of thought they follow, Adi Shankara interpreted the Upanishads from the point of"Advaita Vedanta" (non-duality), Madhavacharya proposed the "Dvaita" (duality) and Ramanuja proposed the "Vishistadvaita" etc.
Bhagavad Gita sought to reconcile the various schools of thought while adopting the concept of "Dvaita". Other influential texts such as "Shiva Samhita", "Shiva Swaradoya" and various Tantric schools adopt the image of Shiva while describing the concept of Brahman. The schools that lean towards the worship of the female deities such as Durga, Kali or Tara adopt their image as "Brahman". "Bhakti" and "Dvaita" schools adopt either Krishna or Maha-Vishnu as the ultimate form of Brahman.
Ultimately, these are all tools employed by various schools to help their initiates understand the concept of "Nirguna Brahman" and from a Vedic and Upanishadic point of view, the concept of Krishna or Shiva as Brahman are illusions.
"Sarvam khalv idam brahma" (All this that we see in the world is Brahman)
so, to answer your question, Brahman by no standards is a subordinate of Krishna, rather Krishna, Shiva and all the deities, if they do exist are merely reflections of the supreme causality that has no form, no qualities, endless and without beginning, neither changing nor unchanging. It is merely the ultimate reality upon which this entire universe is reflected upon.
"Brahma satyam jagan mithya" (Brahman alone is real, the world is unreal)
The concept of Krishna as Brahman is as valid as much as Shiva or Kali is for the sake of speculation and learning. Various Dvaita schools hold Krishna as the supreme being and various Shaivite schools hold Shiva. Hindu texts offer extreme flexibility regarding ones faith and worship. So, if you find kinsman-ship with the image of Krishna there is no harm in believing that Krishna is Brahman, while the followers of Tara might hold their goddess as the supreme being. Even authoritative non-dualist such as Adi Shankara held that surrender to the deity of ones choice was a valid path to Moksha. He composed a brilliant poem "Bhaja Govindam" to demonstrate that Bhakti was as equal and valid a path as Knowledge, to attain Moksha. Ultimately, as the Veda's state, "Just as the all the river reach the ocean, all paths finally lead to salvation"
Sorry for the extremely long answer, I wanted to clearly explain the concept of "Brahman" and its various roles in different philosophical texts. This answer by no means seeks to underplay the wisdom and influence that Bhagavad Gita has had on India's long history or its role as an excellent philosophical text.
I have written most of it by memory and some defintions have been borrowed from Various sources listed below. Please go through the link to have a more complete understanding of the concept of "Brahman" and its evolution through the years.
If you come across any errors or mistakes, please bring them to my attention so that I may rectify them.
Sources:
[1]. Brahman - Veda
[2]. Upanishads
[3]. Brahman
[4]. Selected Quotations
[5]. Page on adishakti.org
Brahman in a purely Upanishadic context is the indescribable, inexhaustible, omniscient, omnipresent, original, first, eternal and absolute principle who is without a beginning, without an end , who is hidden in all and who is the cause, source, material and effect of all creation known, unknown and yet to happen in the entire universe . Even the term indescribable, formless or infinite used to describe Brahman attaches some qualities to it and is an oxymoron. Due to this paradoxical nature of Brahman, our ancient seers referred to Brahman as "This or That", often in the same sentence, they often employed the term "It" to describe the nature of Brahman. Almost all Shruti text conclude that Brahman simply cannot be described and beyond the realm of words or senses and that it can only be felt by the "Atman"(eternal, unmoving witness) that lies within us through meditation.
Bhagavad Gita was written in a time to reconcile various philosophical thoughts into one. It by no means an authoritative text on any of the philosophical schools it sought to reconcile. In the Bhagavad Gita, one can find the thoughts "Samkhya"(Purusha and Prakriti, Consciousness and matter), "Vedanta" (Brahman, Atma and Maya), "Mimamsa" (Karma and Duty), "Yoga" (Control of the Mind),"Vaisheshika" (Atoms and matter), "Nyaya" (Logic). You have to realize that most of these philosophical schools predate the time of the Bhagavad Gita and were highly complex and developed in their thought formation. Bhagavad Gita sought to reconcile each of the schools to present a more encompassing philosophical standing to the common folk who did not possess either the time to dedicate for their learning or the mental faculties to understand them.
Each of the schools had a different path to attain Moksha. For these purposes, Bhagavad Gita mentions various methods of attaining salvation such as "Karma Yoga", Liberation through Action, "Jnana Yoga", Liberation through Knowledge and "Bhakti Yoga", Liberation through surrender.
For example, "Mimamsa" school of thought held that performing ones Dharma was sufficient to attain Moksha,
One finds its thought in the Bhagavad Gita,
"tasmad asaktah satatam karyam karma samacara asakto hy acaran karmaparam apnoti purushah" (Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme).
Yoga" held that by "citta-vtti-nirodha" Citta is the mind field, Vritti, refers to the movement and nirodhah is the cessation, in short, "Cessation of the movements of the mind" leads one to the ultimate goal of Moksha. You can find its influence in the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna repeatedly states that concentration of the mind leads to escaping the fetters of "Samsara",
"Still your mind in me, still yourself in me, and without a doubt you shall be united with me, Lord of Love, dwelling in your heart"
"Samkhya", one of the oldest and complex philosophies of India, held that the entire universe consisted of only consciousness (Purusha) and matter (Prakriti) and the interaction of the two gave rise to the universe, Krishna himself states that
"Of all trees I am the banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I am Narada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila".(10.26)
Kapila is often credited as the founder of the school of Samkhya and his philosophy of "Purusha" and "Prakriti" is found mention in various texts including the Bhagavad Gita.
"Vedanta" (lit. End of the Vedas) was the acme of Indian metaphysical thought and makes its appearance at the end of the Vedas. They are the philosophical summary of message of the Vedas. It is in the Vedas and Upanishads that the concept of "Brahman" makes its appearance. The path of "Jnana Yoga" (Liberation through Knowledge) found in the Bhagavad Gita refers to the philosophies of "Vedanta" and its concept of "Brahman" and "Atma". The ultimate goal of Vedanta was to escape the circle of life and death through understanding that the causality of all things seen and unseen, created and uncreated, past, present and future and the entire universe, all things macro and micro, you, me and everything was "Brahman", the unchanging reality behind the illusion of this changing world. It stressed equanimity of all things good and bad, pain and pleasure, good and evil and the identification of oneself with the entire universe because the entire universe and its process were nothing but a extension of Brahman.
For the purpose of teaching and spiritual advancement, they divided the definition Brahman into two to induce easier understanding of the text.
According to the Upanishads, there are two defintions of Brahman depending upon the experience of the disciple. "Saguna Brahman" (Personal aspect) and"Nirguna Brahman" (impersonal aspect).
Sa (with) Guna (qualities) and Nir (without) Guna (qualities). Saguna Brahman refers to the various deities such as Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Kali, Tara, Dattreya, Bhairava, who are bestowed the title of "Brahman" and are endowed qualities and form so as to facilitate Meditation. Indian philosophies follow the practice of providing both the philosophical discourse along with the practical means to understand them. If you read the "Yoga Sutras" of Patanjali, he mentions the various types of "Samadhi"that meditation leads to and the greatest of them was the "Nirvakalpa Samadhi". The various meditation technique begin with meditating on a single thought or form, usually a deity of choice and slowly lead to higher forms of meditation. For this reason, the concept of "Saguna Brahman" was utilized because the human mind operates on certain concepts such as Up and Down, Left and right, form, qualities and characteristics and these imposed on a deity help the mind focus on these qualities. It was only through rigorous meditation that the mind is conditioned to develop laser focus and imagine much subtler concepts required to mediate on the "Nirguna" state. Many books on Tantra such as "Vijyana Bhairava Tantra""Mahanirvana tantra" and "Shiva Samhita" deal with the various esoteric practices and forms of Meditation. A newly initiated disciple, whose mind is not conditioned to absorb the subtle teaching of the "Nirguna" Brahman was taught the theory of "Saguna Brahman" to help train the mind to hold on to a single form or thought for extended periods of time. This not only helped the initiate condition his mind for subtler thought but also helped in delve deeper into themselves and discover the eternal unmoving witness who is present (Atma). This path ultimately leads the initiate to mediate on "Nirguna Brahman" or the formless Brahman and ultimately "Nirvakalpa samadhi".
"He is beyond thought and invisible, beyond family and colour. He has neither eyes nor ears; he has neither hands nor feet. He is everlasting and omnipresent, infinite in the great and infinite in the small. He is the Eternal whom the sages see as the source of all creation" - Mundaka Upanishad
While "Saguna Brahman" is a valid tool for understanding concepts, from a strictly Upanishadic point of view, "Saguna Brahman" itself is an illusion due to the qualities and forms that one endows on the concept of Brahman be it Krishna or Shiva and ultimately constraints the scope and magnitude of Brahman by imposing qualities to it.
"Great indeed are the Devas who have sprung out of Brahman". -Atharva Veda
The Upanishads literally mean "Sit beside" or seated beside a teacher of wisdom who imparts the ultimate truth. For this reason, the Upanishads usually follow the pattern of discourse between the teacher and initiate. Various authors from different schools have provided commentary on the Upanishads according to the school of thought they follow, Adi Shankara interpreted the Upanishads from the point of"Advaita Vedanta" (non-duality), Madhavacharya proposed the "Dvaita" (duality) and Ramanuja proposed the "Vishistadvaita" etc.
Bhagavad Gita sought to reconcile the various schools of thought while adopting the concept of "Dvaita". Other influential texts such as "Shiva Samhita", "Shiva Swaradoya" and various Tantric schools adopt the image of Shiva while describing the concept of Brahman. The schools that lean towards the worship of the female deities such as Durga, Kali or Tara adopt their image as "Brahman". "Bhakti" and "Dvaita" schools adopt either Krishna or Maha-Vishnu as the ultimate form of Brahman.
Ultimately, these are all tools employed by various schools to help their initiates understand the concept of "Nirguna Brahman" and from a Vedic and Upanishadic point of view, the concept of Krishna or Shiva as Brahman are illusions.
"Sarvam khalv idam brahma" (All this that we see in the world is Brahman)
so, to answer your question, Brahman by no standards is a subordinate of Krishna, rather Krishna, Shiva and all the deities, if they do exist are merely reflections of the supreme causality that has no form, no qualities, endless and without beginning, neither changing nor unchanging. It is merely the ultimate reality upon which this entire universe is reflected upon.
"Brahma satyam jagan mithya" (Brahman alone is real, the world is unreal)
The concept of Krishna as Brahman is as valid as much as Shiva or Kali is for the sake of speculation and learning. Various Dvaita schools hold Krishna as the supreme being and various Shaivite schools hold Shiva. Hindu texts offer extreme flexibility regarding ones faith and worship. So, if you find kinsman-ship with the image of Krishna there is no harm in believing that Krishna is Brahman, while the followers of Tara might hold their goddess as the supreme being. Even authoritative non-dualist such as Adi Shankara held that surrender to the deity of ones choice was a valid path to Moksha. He composed a brilliant poem "Bhaja Govindam" to demonstrate that Bhakti was as equal and valid a path as Knowledge, to attain Moksha. Ultimately, as the Veda's state, "Just as the all the river reach the ocean, all paths finally lead to salvation"
Sorry for the extremely long answer, I wanted to clearly explain the concept of "Brahman" and its various roles in different philosophical texts. This answer by no means seeks to underplay the wisdom and influence that Bhagavad Gita has had on India's long history or its role as an excellent philosophical text.
I have written most of it by memory and some defintions have been borrowed from Various sources listed below. Please go through the link to have a more complete understanding of the concept of "Brahman" and its evolution through the years.
If you come across any errors or mistakes, please bring them to my attention so that I may rectify them.
Sources:
[1]. Brahman - Veda
[2]. Upanishads
[3]. Brahman
[4]. Selected Quotations
[5]. Page on adishakti.org
Link to the page containing the essay: http://www.quora.com/Vedas/Is-there-any-Vedic-reference-to-the-claim-Brahman-is-a-subordinate-of-Shrikrishna
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